Period Pain

[Loveagoodbook]

My daughter is suffering with period cramps, something I have suffered with too, I've recently been diagnosed with endometriosis, not sure if this is hereditary.

I'm just wondering what else I can give her for the apart from paracetamol or ibroprofen?

Has she got a wheat bag that she could warm up?

It's probably the last things that she feels like doing but I've always found that gentle exercise helps, even if it's just a short walk.

Buscopan works well alongside painkillers. It soothes the cramps.

A hot bath chocolate and don't sympathise

A hot water bottle always helps my DD .

I’d speak to the doctor if otc remedies aren’t helping enough. There is other medication that she can be prescribed, she doesn’t need to suffer! I speak to someone who spent my early teens being very miserable with period pain until I was prescribed something by the doctor which really helped.

Thanks everyone.

She had ibroprofen, paracetamol and a hot water bottle and spent most of the day in bed.
I spoke to the nurse at the doctor's as not ideal for her to be taking time off school every month.
She recommended ibroprofen, over paracetamol.
We also have a telephone consultation on Monday with a doctor.
Who would be a women!

She can take both paracetamol & ibruprofen.

Walking/stretching definitely helps, curling up is not good (bummer when that's what you feel like doing)

Can you get her interested in yoga/Pilates type exercising?

Painkillers the minute the period starts.

Also,starflower oil supplements were something that really helped me. (One every day not just during period). Apart from the pill these were the most effective on pain.

Have you tried feminax ultra?
Needs to be the ultra and really helped my Dd. She takes one at start of period and that sees her through.

I had the same when I was around 14/15 and ended up going on the contraceptive pill (was t sexually active) which ended up stopping my periods.

That’s the only thing that worked for me, I was also off school every month and couldn’t function properly

This is a bit late but I'm sure she's still having pains. Try getting her to take the ibuprofen the day before her periods due and when her period comes. It works better (can't remember the science behind it but it defo does!)

I had horrendous cramps on the first day of my periods, I took solpadeine (the one with codeine) (Syndol back in the day before it disappeared) and a hot water bottle on my tummy/lower back.
No pain at all after having kids. I don’t have endo or anything underlying. My mum was the same. Having had two kids with gas&air for pain relief, no painkillers or epidural, I can honestly say my worst cramps were the same intensity as labour contractions. Strong strong painkillers such as codeine was the only thing that worked for me. Only needed them for first day though! I tried the pill but hated feeling of interfering with my natural cycle, tried raspberry leaf tea, exercise, avoiding sugar, interestingly, eating very little/no dairy seemed to help. Wonder if the hormones in cow milk make it worse!

The pill ! Won't help this cycle but will help for the next one

Thanks for all your replies.
We have tried heat patches, ibroprofen/paracetamol.
She went on the pill for 3 months, but her moods and anxiety were awful, she was so tearful and falling out with all her friends, because of overthinking, we decided that she would come off it
I'm going to see what this month is like as I have bought her some Feminax and if that doesn't help, I'll speak to the doctor about trying another pill.

How old is she? Try solpadeine Max if you’re ok with her having codeine. Can get from pharmacist and says can be used for period pain on the packet.
I try not to take painkillers but when I had bad pains - as strong as labour contractions - codeine was the best thing I tried.

Sorry she's suffering.
There is a hereditary element to endometriosis, I'm afraid, though it isn't straightforward. She is at greater risk because you have it, and she is showing signs. If possible, I would try to get a referral to a specialist centre (one of the BSGE accredited ones) for her.

Good luck.

I was the same all through my teens until I went on the pill long term. I found that paracetamol and ibuprofen helped but only if I started taking it as soon as my period started and carried on for the first 2-3 days. I wouldn't necessarily advise the pill though as it just masks the symptoms and doesn't treat the cause. I was later diagnosed with endometriosis via laparoscopy. Since I've had children the pain has stopped completely, I am aware that endo does grow back though.

Oh I feel for her. Ibuprofen and paracetamol don’t even touch the sides for me, I might as well be eating skittles. I take Naproxen; it’s the only thing that’s ever worked for me. It used to be OTC in the UK but you need a script now.

I was also diagnosed with endometriosis after 20 years of being told being in lots of pain every month was completely normal. I now know it’s really not.

Although even with my endo diagnosis I still get told “just take paracetamol” by almost every GP I see, as if that had never occurred to me and I had never tried it before! I wish that worked!

Thanks for all your replies, it's awful being a women! I know how she is feeling, as until I had children I went through it, time of school/work through pain. I just struggled through as there didn't seem any other option then unfortunately.
I'll look properly at all your replies and see what else I can do to help her. Thank you again.

@Loveagoodbook as a fellow endo sufferer it is likely my Mum had it too although never diagnosed and she definitely fit all the symptoms. I was diagnosed 21 years ago aged 26. So firstly, you have my sympathies.

I don't know how you feel about this but I take 2 Migraleve Pinks which have a low dose of codeine in. They also contain paracetamol and an anti-sickness med. They are recommended for 12+ and you could start her on one tablet. Worth looking into if it helps.

I have a plug in heat pad which really helps too but not if you are out and about. There is no weight to it like a wheat bag and it doesn't lose heat. I have a TENs machine as my endo is horrific which I use when the low dose meds and heat pad stop being effective. I do have higher dose codeine but I don't like how I feel on it, the migraleve is low.

Re the pill I would speak to the GP and see if there are any alternatives that she could take and tell them why she stopped taking the last one as it possibly would help her. It could be something to think about for heading toward summer when she won't be in school for a 6 week period excuse the pun.

Mefanamic acid (prescription) was really helpful to me at that age. I see tranexamic acid recommended on here a lot but that had awful side effects for me.

My daughter (12) has only recently started her periods but had awful period pain several days into her period. We got her some feminax tablets and they seemed to sort it, but I'm also going to get some buscopan too as they've been recommended.